Disk fan



Nov; 30, 1937. w. M. SCHWARTZ DISK FAN Filed Jan. 28, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l /144' 5% ff A Nov. 3.0, 1937. w. M. SCHWARTZ' 2,100,980

DISK FAN Filed Jan. 28, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lPatented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISK FAN Application January 28, 1936, Serial No. 61,218

11 Claims.

This invention relatesto air or other gaseous iiuid impellers of the disk fan type, i. e. a type wherein a plurality of blades are arranged in a common plane or between two parallel planes and radially disposed with respect to the axis of rotation of the fan.

In the larger size fans of the disk type, the blades heretofore have been individually stamped from sheet steel and separately riveted to radially extending arms cast integral with and projecting radially from a central hub. The rivets frequently became loose and caused the blades to rattle during rotation of the fan.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate difficulties vheretofore encountered in the disk fan type of impeller, by forming all the blades as integral parts of a continuous strip cut from a plate of sheet steel or other suitable metal or other sheet material and from theside of which the blades project in parallel relation to each other, and by bending and folding the base strip in a manner to effect a radial arrangement of the blades about a common center coincident with` the axis of rotation of the fan, as will be fully disclosed hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a face View of a plate of sheet material cut or otherwise shaped to form a strip and a plurality of parallel blades projecting laterally from one side of the strip in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

' Fig. 2 is an edge view of the blank shown in Fig. l and illustrating one side of each blade bent outwardly from the plane of the blank to provide the necessary pitch to the blades.

Fig is a longitudinal section of the blank and conning plates for the strip after the blank has been bent and folded to form a fan, said section being taken on the line 3 3, Fig. li;

Fig. 4 is a face sectional View of the completed fan, said section being taken on the line ll-t, Fig. 5; and

Fig. 5 is an edge view of the completed fan shown in Fig. 4.

y The fundamental idea in the present case is to make the blade portion of a disk fan out of one piece of sheet metal or other suitable sheet material. In the case of the disk fan shown in Fig. 4; the punched sheet or blank of which the major portion of the fan is composed is illustrated at l, in Fig. 1, and consists of a long continuous strip 2 having laterally extending blades 3, 3 projecting from one side thereof, throughout the length of the strip 2, in laterally spaced substantially parallel relation to each other.

The blades 3 are each bent or twisted, in iiat or concavo-convexed form, at an angle to the plane of the strip 2, as indicated at t in Fig. 2,

to give the desired pitch -to the blades The strip 2 is adapted to be bent or folded in one direction along lines 5 5, which extend substantially at right angles to the length of the strip 2 and in a reverse direction along lines 6 5 which are disposed in convergent relationship to the lines 5 5, from the straight edge 'l of the strip 2 toward the opposite edge 'la from which the blades 3 extend, until the strip 2 assumesa Zig-zag shape such as illustrated in Fig. 3, and wherein the areas or portions 8, 3 of the strip 2 which are in line with and constitute base por-tions of the blades 3, t respectively arev arranged in substantially parallel relationship to each other, while the intermediate or connecting portions 9, t of the strip 2 are arranged substantially in parallel relationship to each other, but at acute angles to the blade bas'e portions 8, 8, respectively.

The converging relationship of the bending lines 5 and 6 causes the blades 3, 3 to assume a radial relationship from a common center constituting or coinciding with the axis of rotation of the disk fan. I

The relatively ,bent base and connecting sections d and t of the strip 2 are confined or clamped between hub plates l@ and l, the plate l0 having an integral hub l2 adapted to receive the shaft i3 while'the plate l i is adapted to slide over the hub l2 of the plate l@ to clamp the blade base and connecting portions B and 9 firmly between the two hub plates by means of bolts it, lf3, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

In some instances, the bolts ld may be drawn down tightly to cause the hub plates l0 and il to collapse the base strip therebetween until the blade base sections t and the intermediate connecting sections 9 lie tightly together in overlapping relation to each other and are held rigidly in this relation by and between the hub plates l and ll.

In other instances, the hub plates l0 and ll, one or the other or both, may be provided with tooth-like projections arranged to project into the angular spaces l5 between the base portions 8 of the blades and the intermediate sections 9 of the strip 2, whereby complete collapse of the strip is prevented and the fan is given substantial support at the base of each blade.

As shown in Fig. 4, the bending of the strip 2 from its normally dat rectilinear i'orm of Fig. 1 into the zig-zag form of Fig. 3, wherein the base sections 8 of the blades 3 are in overlapping relation to the intermediate sections 9, and the angular or convergent relationship of the side edges of the base sections 81 and intermediate sections 9 on which the strip 2 is bent, causes the plain edge 'l of the strip to contract longitudinally and reduces the strip 2 from its normal rectilinear form into an arcuate form around the axis of the shaft I3 and causes the outer ends of the blades 3 to spread apart and throw the blades out of their normal parallel relationship into an angular relationship wherein each blade 3 is disposed in radial relation to the axis of the shaft I3.

I claim:

1. A disk fan composed of a strip of sheet material and comprising a plurality of blades projecting radially from and spaced angularly about a common -axis extending substantially perpendicular to the general plane of the fan, said blades being uniformly pitched with respect to said axis and said plane and 'each including a base portion disposed adjacent said axis, said base portions being arranged in overlapping relation to each other around said axis with one edge of each base portion joined to the opposite edge of the base portion of the next adjacent blade by a connecting portion forming part of said strip together with said blades and said base portions thereof.

2. A disk fan composed of a strip of sheet material and comprising a plurality of blades projecting radially from and spaced angularly about a common axis extending substantially perpendicular .to the general plane of the fan, said blades being uniformly pitched with respect to said axis and said plane and each including a base portion disposed adjacent said axis, said base portions being arranged in overlapping relation to each other around said axis with one edge of each base portion joined to the opposite edge of the base portion of the next adjacent blade by a connecting portion forming part of said strip together with said blades and said base portions thereof, and means for retaining said base and connecting portions in said relationship.

3. A disk fan composed of a strip of sheet material and comprising a plurality of blades projecting radially from and spaced angularly about a common axis extending substantially perpendicular to the general plane of the fan,

Vsaid blades being uniformly pitched with respect to said axis and said plane and each including a base portion disposed adjacent said axis, said base portions being arranged in overlapping relation to each other around said axis with one edge of each base portion joined to the opposite edge of the base portion of the next adjacent blade by a connecting portion forming part of said strip together with said blades and said base portions thereof, and means for retaining said base and connecting portions in said relationship including a pair of plates respectively disposed at opposite sides of the fan along said axis and maintaining said portions therebetween.

4. A disk fan composed of a strip of sheet material and comprising a plurality of blades projecting radially from and spaced angularly about a common axis extending substantially perpendicular to the general plane of the fan, said blades being uniformly pitched with respect to said axis and said plane and each including a base portion disposed adjacent said axis, said base portions being arranged in overlapping relation to each other around said axis with one edge of each base portion joined to the opposite edge of the base portion of the next adjacent blade by a connecting portion forming part of said strip together with said-blades and said base portions thereof, means for retaining said base and connecting portions in said relationship including a pair of plates respectively disposed at opposite sides of the fan along said axis, and means for drawing said plates toward each other in the direction of said axis to clamp, said portions therebetween.

5. A disk fan composed of a strip of sheet material and comprising a plurality of blades projecting radially from and spaced angularly about a common axis extending substantially perpendicular to the general plane oi the fan, said blades being uniformly pitched with respect to said axis and said plane and each including a base portion disposed adjacent said axis, said base portions being arranged in overlapping re lation to each other around said axis with one edge of each base portion joined to the opposite edge of the base portion of the next adjacent blade by a connecting portion forming part of said strip together with said blades and said base portions thereof, means for retaining said base and connecting portions in said relationshipincluding a pair of plates disposed at opposite sides respectively ofsaid general plane of thev fan, a hub on one of said plates extending axially through the other of said plates, and means for drawing said plates toward each other in the` direction of said axis to clamp said portions therebetween.

6. A bladed disk fan composed of a normally J rectilinear strip of sheet material provided with a plurality of projections integral with and extending laterally from and spaced apart along one edge of the strip and constituting the blades of the fan, said strip constituting base portions for said blades respectively and connecting portions joining opposite edges of adjacent base portions, said base portions being arranged in overlapping relation to each other with said connecting portions disposed between successive overlapping base portions.

'7. A bladed disk fan composed ofa normally rectilinear strip of sheet material provided with a plurality of projections integral with and extending laterally from and spaced' apart along one edge of the strip and constituting the blades necting portions disposed intermediate successive base portions.

8. A bladed disk fan composed of a normally rectilinear strip of sheet material provided with a plurality of projections integral with and extending laterally from and spaced apart along one edge of the strip and constituting the blades of the fan, said strip constituting base portions for said blades respectively and connecting portions joining opposite edges of adjacent base portions, said base portions being arranged at similar angles to the normal plane of the strip in overlapping relation to each other with said connecting portions disposed intermediate successive base portions and disposed at acute angles respectively with respect to each of the base sections joined together thereby.

9. A bladed disk fan composed of a normally rectilinear strip of sheet material provided with a plurality of projections integral with and extending laterally from and spaced apart along one edge of the strip and constituting the blades of the fan, said strip constituting base portions for said blades respectively and connecting portions joining opposite edges of adjacent base portions, each base portion having one edge extending transversely of the strip substantially at right angles to the longitudinal edges of the strip with the opposite edge of each base portion disposed at a converging angle with respect to the irst said edge of each base portion.

10. A bladed disk fan composed of a normally rectilinear strip of sheet material provided with a plurality of projections integral with and extending laterally from and spaced apart along one edge of the strip and constituting the blades of the fan, said strip constituting base portions for said blades respectively and connecting portions joining opposite edges of adjacent base portions, each base portion having one edge extending transversely of the strip substantially at right angles to the longitudinal edges of the strip intermediate a pair of laterally projecting blade extensions with the opposite edge of each base portion disposed at a converging angle with respect to the rst said edge of each base portion.

11. A bladed disk fan composedof a normally rectilinear strip of sheet material provided withA a plurality of projections integral with and extending laterally from and spaced apart alongy overlapping base portions, each base portion and a connecting portion joined therewith having a common edge line forming a juncture therebetween and extending transversely of the strip substantially at right angles to the longitudinall edges of the strip and opposite edge lines in oppositely converging relation to said common edge line respectively.

WALTER M. SCHWARTZ. 

